There Are Always Some Secrets You Don't Know
by iHeartParamore
Summary: Edward and Bella have been best friends since they can remember. But when Bella finds out the truth about Edward, a simple Halloween night takes an unexpected turn, and Bella finds out something about Edward that could change their relationship forever.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Edward Cullen and I have been friends for as long as I can remember. We both live on the same street in the same town: Oak Drive in Forks, Washington. We spent almost every minute of every day together.

Our dads have been best friends since high school, his dad Carlisle and my dad Charlie. That's how we met. I believe we met somewhere around the age mark of 6 months old… back when my mom was still around. You see, my mom Renee died of brain cancer when I was only 2-years-old. I grew even closer to Edward and his family at this time. His mom, Esme, became my stand-in mother. Carlisle acted more like my uncle, because he's usually working at the hospital while Edward and I hang out.

Edward and I are both 14. Yes, I know, old enough to like each other as more than just friends. But that will _never_ happen. Edward is super protective of me, especially when I so much as look in the direction of another guy. I popped the question before if he would be so kind as to date me so no other guys could take me (my very sneaky & clever way of asking him to be my boyfriend), and he said that no guy in the universe is worthy of me. I laughed.

So yeah, Edward and I have always been Bella & Edward, Edward & Bella. We do have some other friends that we hang out with at school: Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett. But outside school it's just us two. Emmett never lets Edward live that one down.

Our favorite time to spend together is around Halloween. We both love the cool, crisp weather (although it's raining in Forks 99% of the time, there are those few random days when it's actually sunny) of autumn, and we both love horror. Halloween is big for us. We always dress up in dorky/cool outfits and trick-or-treat with the little kids. Halloween is coming up, so it's prime Edward & Bella season.

And I'm also hoping that this Halloween, I might just get my first kiss from my love, Edward Cullen. Who says that you can't swap out mistletoe for cobwebs?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It was the Monday before Halloween, and I was doing what I do best: hanging out with Edward.

We were in his cozy bedroom, listening to one of a billion CDs that he owned. Today was George Winston's _Autumn_. Edward always favored piano. While we listened to music, we talked. About hunting (a joint passion of ours), cars (he was a car encyclopedia; my life goal was to own a Bugatti Veyrons – only 200 were made), and travel (we want to travel to every country in the world together).

We also talked about our plans for this Friday, Halloween night. So far, we were going to come home from school, get ready at his house, go trick-or-treat, and then meet up with Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie afterward at a teen club in Seattle called Twilight. Usually only goths and emos hang out at Twilight, but Halloween is the exception. On Halloween, _everyone_ goes to Twilight. That's why you have to get tickets to get in on Halloween. And thankfully, Jasper got all six of us tickets a year ago.

Two weeks ago Edward and I decided what we were being. We were going as vampires. Edward was going to wear a tuxedo with a black cape, and I was going to wear a short black and red evening dress. We both bought long fangs at the Halloween store to complete the look.

I was excited for this Halloween, because I thought that my outfit was pretty cool. So was his. Usually he's just some horror icon and I'm the one who gets creative. I've been a cheetah, Dorothy, Tinker Bell, a geisha, and Wednesday from _The Addams Family_, to name a few. This year is the first year I didn't buy my full costume from the Halloween store, and I already felt more grown up.

"Bella?" Edward's smooth voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?" I looked up.

"Is your dad okay with Rosalie's mom bringing us home from Twilight?"

"I'm sure," I nodded. "Charlie's always busy on Halloween night, he'll be fine with anyone taking me home."

"Okay." Edward looked down, tracing his long fingers across the pattern of seems in on his black comforter. "I've been thinking about something," he told me.

"What?" I asked. I hugged my knees to my chest.

"Remember how we talked about you dating other guys?" He looked at me, his topaz eyes burning into my chocolate brown ones.

"Yeah," I cracked a smile.

"If you do want to start dating… go ahead. I shouldn't stop you. If you want to date someone, that's your business."

"Aw Edward. I don't need to date anyone. I have you."

"But I can't give you what you want," he said quietly.

I knit my eyebrows. "Huh?"

"Nothing." Edward's head snapped up and he looked out his bedroom window that faced the Forks forest.

"Okay?" I didn't want to press the issue. I tried to ignore it, but his words kept echoing in my head.

_I can't give you what you want._


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The rest of the Monday was a blur to me. All I could remember was Edward's comment, _I can't give you what you want._ What does that mean?

At 9 that night, as I walked the few feet down the road to get to my house, I racked my brain to try to come up with a logical answer. I first started with the basics. He thinks I want something from him. Okay, I want him to be my boyfriend. Maybe Esme wouldn't let him date. Was I getting worked up over something as minimal as that? I tried to make myself believe that, but somewhere in the back of my head I knew that Edward was hiding something deeper from me.

I sighed as I climbed the stone steps up to my door, covered with green moss. What else would I want? A kiss? There was no reason that Edward couldn't kiss me. It was me, Bella, his best friend for life. Would he just feel weird being my boyfriend because we've been friends for so long? That didn't quite add up to me. Thinking about this made me upset. Edward was hiding something. I couldn't deny it anymore.

When I was in my room, sitting on my purple bed, I stared at my cell phone. Should I call him? Text? Any other day I would have had no problem doing either of those two things. We sometimes text until 3AM. But today didn't feel like any other day to me.

Glancing at my alarm clock, I suddenly felt tired. I'm not the kind of person who tires easily. I'm usually the kind of person that can pull an all-nighter and go to school perfectly fine in the morning. Even ace a test. I just decided to try to go to bed. Maybe things would be clearer then.

I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, changed into my favorite sweats and one of Edwards T-shirts that got left here from one year or another, and crawled into bed. The warmth of my comforter was… well… comforting. The light pitter-patter of rain on the roof was my lullaby.

When I glanced out the window in the dark, I could have sworn I saw a silhouette of a person in the window. I screamed, turned on the light, and grabbed the shotgun under my bed that Charlie gave me for protection. I ran over to the window, threw it open, and leaned out, looking for the thief. All that was outside was the rain. I slowly drew myself back in, panting. I closed down the blinds of my window, made sure our security system was on, made sure my phone was at my bedside, and slowly put my shotgun underneath my bed.

So much for sleeping.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When the sun rose that morning (I didn't sleep a wink), I noticed that I never texted Edward about the thief or whoever was prowling around outside the house. I usually would have, but something blocked that from my mind.

I got ready for school before Charlie even woke up, and started making a breakfast of scrambled eggs for myself.

I cracked up at the sight of those eggs. They reminded me of the time Edward egged this one kid's house. His name is Mike Newton, and he has been in love with me practically since kindergarten. Edward didn't like how he started stalking my house (walking by after school every afternoon… more than once on weekends and the summer), so Edward egged his house one night. I wanted to come along to see Edward do it, but he wouldn't let me. He said that he didn't want me getting into trouble if he'd get caught. How bad would that be – your own father catching you egging a classmate's house?

Mike eventually figured out that it was Edward who had egged his house, but Mike was too afraid to tattle. I would be afraid if Edward if I were anyone else, too, I guess. Edward is tall, with well-proportioned muscles. Just the way his face is set sometimes, beautiful but dangerous. Edward has been the fastest boy in the class since forever and had been on the top of the honor roll eight years running. I doubted Edward could be any more perfect.

After eating and washing out my plate, Charlie came down the stairs in his uniform. "Morning, Bells."

"Morning, Char – Dad." I never really got out of the habit of calling him Charlie. I've been doing it for a few years now. "I was just on my way out."

"Heading to Edward's?" he asked.

"Yup. Waiting for the bus with him."

"Bella… I've been meaning to talk to you about something…"

"What is it?" I leaned back against the kitchen table.

"You and Edward. You're going to that Seattle club on Halloween, right?"

"With Alice and Jasper and Emmet and Rosalie," I reminded him.

"Yes with them. I just want to remind you don't talk to anyone you don't know…"

"Dad! We've been going over this since I was five…"

"Let me finish. Don't accept drinks from anyone. No drugs. More importantly, I don't want you and Edward alone."

I turned a shade of red. "Dad, Edward and I are just friends. I told you that a million times before."

"I'm just reminding you, Bella. After fifteen years of being a police officer, I know better than anyone not to trust a fourteen year old boy."

"Can I go now?"

"Bye. Love you."

"Love you, too." I grabbed my backpack from the table and headed out the door. I started walking to Edward's, and saw that he was sitting on his porch. Today was starting off pretty normal. I was thankful.

"Hey, Edward."

"Morning, Bella."

We stood in silence for a minute. Usually Edward supplied the conversation. I felt awkward in front of the one person in the world that I could tell absolutely anything to.

"Some rain last night," he said quietly.

"Is that the best you can do?" I asked, knitting my eyebrows.

We laughed, and everything felt normal again.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The bus ride went normally. Edward and I sat next to each other in the back. We talked, listened to each other's iPods, texted the other four in our group who lived in every other corner of town but ours. Forks Middle School isn't too far away… maybe ten minutes or so.

When I exited the bus, I wasn't surprised to see Mike conspicuously gawking at me. He was surrounded by his own group: his girlfriend, Jessica; his best friend, Eric; and Eric's girlfriend, Angela. I've been with Jessica, Eric, and Angela one time or another in a class, and they all were pretty nice. Eric's had his share of crushing on me. Jessica is nice, but an avid gossiper. Angela is probably the best out of the four. We've gone shopping a few times when Edward, much to his dismay, was on vacation.

I looked down at my outfit, wondering if that could possibly be the reason Mike was staring at me. (One time during a heat spell in Forks, I dared to wear a denim mini skirt and a tank top to school. Other girls were definitely dressed skimpier, but Mike apparently found me more appealing.) I was in jeans, my favorite Converse sneakers, and my usual black rain parka covering a plain long-sleeved tee with buttons going down a quarter of the way. Nothing real special.

"Don't look at him," Edward whispered to me.

I looked down and bit my lip to keep from smiling. I didn't want to sound like a serial dater or anything, but it was so funny when Edward got jealous. Although _protective _would be a more appropriate word. I loved how he was always so chivalrous, like my knight in shining armor.

"Wish I could say that to every girl who checks you out," I told him. He laughed, and every girl turned.

"I see your point," he agreed.

Did he see I was flirting? Every time I spoke to him, I tried to get flirtier and flirtier until he got the hint. While Edward was the smartest person I knew, he seemed to be oblivious when it came to girls. Then again, I was pretty much the only girl he had ever spoken to. There was his mom of course, and Rosalie and Alice, but they didn't count much. I started wondering if he was ignoring the flirting on purpose. It didn't want to go back to the whole _I can't give you what you want _conversation. That entire night still gave me a headache.

Our first class was bio. I enjoyed bio. Despite the fact that Forks Middle School only had about 200 kids, its classrooms were pretty cool. We had portable laptops in the computer lab with Wi-Fi throughout the school, a pretty hi-tech science lab, and smartboards in the classrooms. I liked the cool, orderliness of the science lab in bio. And the fact that Edward was my partner.

After dropping my parka and books at my locker (next to Edward's thanks to a little bit of sweet-talking), we headed to class together. When we walked the halls, heads turned. I heard many a rumor about us being "together". How I wished they were true.

Edward and I sat in one of the back tables, as usual. Unfortunately, Mike and Eric were next to us. Since Edward insisted on sitting on the side closest to Mike, I couldn't easily look at him without Mike thinking I was staring at _him_. So I was stuck actually paying attention to Mr. Molina's lesson or staring out the window at the rain. I could read my science book and pass the test easily; the Olympic Peninsula rain was extremely boring after fourteen years. Despite those little details, bio was pretty fun.

"Okay, adolescents…" Mr. Molina started. Edward rolled his topaz eyes toward me. I struggled not to giggle. "Today we will be talking about the stages of mitosis!"

Edward and I exchanged another glance, almost bursting with laughter. Mr. Molina must have been on the topic of mitosis for at least a week. Most likely longer.

I stared at random objects throughout the room, daydreaming about Halloween. This year was going to be better than the rest. I could feel it.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Halloween actually came faster than I anticipated. Each day faded into the next with surprising velocity. I went to school, came home, hung out with Edward, slept, and then the cycle started again. It amazed me how I could do this almost every day for over a decade and not be bored with it.

On Friday morning, I hopped out of bed wide-awake. I danced around my room as I got dressed, thinking about everything I was going to do today. Well… tonight. I went through the usual morning ritual, Charlie still asleep. I popped some bagels in the toaster and got out some cream cheese. I saved my mom's special bagel breakfasts for special occasions. Today certainly was one.

Charlie came down the stairs with his uniform on while I was eating. I could feel him watching me as he stepped into his boots, but on his belt, and patted his gun. "Bella, you gonna be alright?" he finally said.

"Yeah, Dad." I looked up at him while chewing.

"Call me if you need anything." I held up my cell phone. After a minute of silence, he said, "I see you made bagels."

"Yep."

"What's so special about today?"

"It's Halloween."

"And…?"

"I like Halloween."

"Oh."

That was pretty much the extent of our morning conversation. Charlie was always very hard to talk to on the boy front. Give a single dad a gun, mention a boy, and watch the fireworks. That's mostly why I miss mom. I lost a really important outlet while growing up.

"Bella?" he addressed me again. I looked up at him. "Just be careful."

"I will, Dad," I reassured him. He kissed me on the forehead goodbye, and then left. When the front door closed, my house was silent. The sound of rain outside in the background seemed to match the rhythm of my heart. I finished my bagel, picked up my backpack, and headed out the door like every other morning.

Walking along the wet road on the way to Edward's house, I could have sworn I heard someone yelling. It sounded deep and menacing. And then it all of a sudden changed pitches… it changed to a more high-pitched voice. And weirder yet, it sounded like it was coming from the direction of Edward's house. Edward's family never fought once. I pretty much live with the Cullens 75% of the time, and they _never _fight. Ever. I rushed up the road a little quicker.

When I got to the house, I swore I was dreaming. Edward and Esme were yelling at each other. Screaming. Fighting. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was definitely heated. I was a little scared, and I pondered turning around and waiting for the bus on my own porch. But when I took one step closer to the house a few seconds upon hearing the fight, everything hushed. I froze in place, wondering how on earth Esme and Edward could hear me.

Exactly 45 seconds later, Edward came out the door ready for school, but with a pissed experession on his face. "Hi, Bella," he grumbled.

"What's wrong?" I instinctively asked. Edward looked away. "You can tell me," I said gently.

"I just had a fight with Esme, that's all."

I bit my lip. "About what?"

"It's not important," he said back coldly.

This hit me harder than anything anyone had ever said to me. Edward and I were _best friends_. We told each other everything. That annoying gut feeling I got earlier in the week that told me Edward was hiding something was unfortunately back.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Edward got an increasingly better mood as the day went on. I tried not to dwell on this morning, but it just kept on irking me from the back of my mind.

Finally, _finally_, Friday afternoon came. I watched the clock tick off the minutes, one minute closer to my night with Edward.

"It'll come soon enough," he reminded me randomly, almost as if reading my thoughts. I giggled.

When the final bell rang, I was happier than public school seniors on the last bell of their last day. I literally jumped out of my seat from algebra, and Edward laughed at me. "Someone's excited for Halloween."

"I've been waiting all year for this," I said.

"Me too, Bella." He slung his arm around me as we walked down the hall. Everyone stared as we walked to our lockers, and I immediately felt like the Plastics in _Mean Girls_. I usually was one who hated attention, but for the first time, I actually slightly enjoyed being the girl every other one wished she was. I had Edward Cullen, the guy every other girl wished she had. That realization gave me a small taste of the power I actually held, being Edward Cullen's best friend.

As we passed Rosalie and Emmett, Emmett snickered at me. I stuck my tongue out at him. Rosalie even smiled. I held my breath and let it soak in. I never really paid attention to those stares, I never wanted them. But now that I took a good look, being the envy of the entire female population of Forks Middle School was actually kind of… fun.

"I need to put my arm around you more often, don't I?" Edward whispered to me. I bit my lip. We got our books together quickly and hurried out to the bus. We got to the back, our usual spot.

"So what do you want to do first, Bella?" Edward asked me.

I had a mental response to that I'm not going to share. "Well I need to stop at my house to get my costume, and then we can go to your house to hang out."

"I'll have Esme order pizza for dinner for us to eat before trick-or-treat."

"Sounds cool," I nodded. I really had no interest in the pizza, or even trick-or-treating. I just wanted to change into my costume so Edward could see it. I made him wait to see it so it could be a surprise.

I pictured my outfit in my head: the way the dress swung around my mid-thigh, how the strapless top flattered my straight figure, how the soft silk flowed…

"I can't wait to see your costume," Edward told me with that flawless smile.

"You're just gonna have to wait."

"I am. Eagerly." The look on Edwards face made my heart flutter. I was even more exited for tonight than before. But the pleased look on his face made me feel as if I was wearing that dress now… like he could somehow read my mind and see the mental picture.

As I stared into those topaz eyes, I thought I could see someone different from my Edward Cullen. I had a strange feeling that I was in the presence of a different Edward. I blamed it on age, the natural process of hormones, but again I had a strange feeling that inside that boy was a secret. A secret I was desperate to uncover.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As the sun went down over Forks, I got more and more excited. After Edward and I ate dinner, we got down to real business: changing into our costumes. Edward stayed in his room, I went into the bathroom.

First the dress. Then the pendant. Then eye makeup and lipstick. Then the fangs. Then curl the ends of my hair. Then heels. In the middle of applying my eyeliner, Edward knocked on the door. "Bella? Are you _still _getting dressed?"

"Yep!" I replied with a smile.

When I opened the door after I was finished, Edward was sitting on a chair across the hall, facing the door. When I walked out in my costume, a smile broke out onto his face. I blushed immediately. "You look beautiful." He stood up and took my hand. I didn't really think of my costume as necessarily "beautiful," but I took it as a good thing. Edward liked it, and that's all that mattered.

He peered out the large bay window at the end of the hallway to measure the light behind the clouds. After you live in Forks for a few years, you learn to be able to read the time based on the shade of the clouds. The sky was pretty dusky, so trick-or-treat was going to start in about a half hour, I estimated.

"So…" I rocked on my feet. "What are we doing until trick-or-treat?"

"We can sit outside. The rain is supposed to hold out until midnight."

I smiled, exposing my fangs.

"I like the fangs," Edward commented. "Might be a new look for you."

I laughed. "You look vary dawshing, Count Cullun," I said with a British accent.

"As do you, Countess Swun." He played along. Then he took my hand, and we started dancing. All of a sudden, "River Flows In You" by Yiruma started playing from his bedroom. I laughed.

Esme walked up the steps, and smiled at us. I blushed and looked down.

"What are you doing, Edward?" Her velvet voice calmed me down a little.

"Dawncing, ma lady," he answered, still in British accent mode.

Esme laughed. I've always loved Esme's laugh. It always seemed magical, like the bells of an angel. "Trick-or-treaters are starting to show up," she informed us.

"Already?" I asked as Edward dipped me.

"You should start trick-or-treating if you want to be back in time to go to Twilight." Esme stood perfectly straight in an almost statue-like position, her hands clasped in front of her.

"I suppose we shall begin ah quest for candy, Countess Swun." Edward paused to kiss my hand. "It has been a great pleasar dawncing with you."

"As you, Count Cullun."

Esme laughed again. "Have you ever considered a career in the theatre?"

"I can't sing," I informed my (practically) second mother.

"I believe they would overlook that," Edward said, back to normal voice. He handed me a black velvet tote to carry my candy in. "You're certainly beautiful enough to play any role ever imagined. I blushed more out of joy than anything.

"Oh, you two," Esme rolled her eyes with a smile. "Get along." She tossed her head gracefully towards the front door.

Edward grabbed my hand and led the way to the door. My body was tingling from my eyelashes to the tips of my black-painted toes. Right there, I decided that if I was going to make my dreams of tonight a reality, I was going to have to take matters into my own hands.

"Have fun!" Esme said after we walked outside. I was surprised to see that it wasn't raining, although it was cloudy.

Edward and I started walking up the street, away from my house. I sensed Edward was about to say something. But before he could, I hip-checked him into the darkness beside his house. Or… I tried. When I hit him, I swore my hip cracked. I immediately fell to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Bella! Bella! What's wrong?" Edward frantically crouched down beside me.

Tears involuntarily flowed from my eyes, and I cursed myself for not wearing waterproof makeup. "I tried pushing you with my hip," I gasped, my hands pressed tightly against it.

"Let me see." Edward took away my hand, and pressed softly on the bone. It hurt almost as bad as the time I broke my leg falling down stairs. I screamed. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Edward backed up a little. "We have to take you back."

"No!" I insisted. "I'm fine. See?" I tried sitting up, but it hurt too much.

Edward immediately scooped me up in his arms, honeymoon-style. "I'm taking you to Esme."

"Edward… no…" I tried to protest, but he wouldn't listen. So much for trick-or-treating.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

I felt so pathetic, having Edward carry me to his house.

He brought me to Esme, and once he left, she lifted my dress so she could take a look at it on the couch. When she pulled back the dress, I almost passed out. A huge, and I mean _huge_, bruise covered my entire hip.

"How did this happen?" Esme asked in motherly shock and concern.

"I… I just tried to hip-check Edward. As a joke. I mean… I didn't…"

Emse's smile reassured me that she wasn't mad. "But how could just that cause this kind of bruise?" I didn't know why, but something about Esme's tone told me that she somehow knew, that she understood and that this made sense. But I was clueless as ever. How could just hip-checking Edward give me that bad of a bruise?

"I have no idea."

"Well one thing is for sure… you aren't trick-or-treating tonight. I'm not so sure about letting you go to Twilight, either."

"No, I want to go," I begged.

"Bella, can you even stand up?" she asked. I looked away. "I'm sorry, honey." Esme brushed my hair back. "It's not fair to Edward," I said softly, "because he won't go without me."

"That's Edward's choice," Emse told me. "I have a feeling that Edward would enjoy a quiet night with you more than one at a loud club."

"But Rose and Alice and Emmett and Jasper…"

"I'm sure Edward told them already."

I sighed. "Just my luck, I guess."

"Why don't you go upstairs with Edward?" Emse suggested. "I'm sure you two can find something to do."

I nodded. "I might need some help, though."

Emse smiled. "Edward!" she called.

Edward was down the stairs faster than I've ever seen him. "Bella, I'm _so_ sorry!"

"Edward," Even just his name made me smile, "it isn't your fault." It looked like he had been crying, but his eyes were still matte, there were no tear paths.

Edward shook his head. He scooped me up again, being careful not to touch my injured hip. Wordlessly, he carried me upstairs and into his bedroom. I couldn't help but let my mind wonder to places it shouldn't be. Edward placed me gently on his perfectly made bed, and turned on some music. It was a CD I didn't recognize.

"Bella," he leaned down next to me, "are you in pain?"

"No Edward. I'm fine. It's not your fault… I was just being stupid."

Edward bit his lip so hard that I swore he must have drawn blood. "No. It's my fault."

"How is it _your_ fault?"

"Have you ever noticed that I never bruise?" Edward sounded almost angry. He utied his cape and let it fall to the floor. "How I've never been cut? How I've never broken a bone?"

"I never really paid attention."

"Have you paid attention to the fact I'm always over 50 degrees below normal human temperature?" Edward shattered his stereo to the floor. I winced. "I'm a vampire, Bella. I'm a monster."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

My brain went into shock. "A… a… vampire?" I stumbled over the thought.

Edward looked at me grimly. He was a completely different Edward from the one I had known since I had been born.

"Edward, you can't _really_…"

"Bella, it's true," he insisted. He opened his window facing the Forks forest and jumped out. He landed on the closest tree, and looked back at me. I was amazed. I tried to sit up, but my hip wouldn't allow me. He ran from tree to tree with amazing durability and speed. I swore I was dreaming. He jumped back into the room, taking the glass window with him. It shattered onto the floor, and I covered my face.

"If you're a vampire, you'd drink blood."

"I do," he breathed. "You see how my eyes are amber?" I looked into the eyes of not Edward, but a creature I never knew actually existed. "It means I only drink animal blood. Do you know how much of my willpower it takes not to kill you?" He pasted himself against the far wall, as far away from me as possible. "Even looking at that bruise… the battered blood vessels just under your skin…

"How did you see the bruise?" I demanded, sitting up and dealing with the squeezing pain. "You weren't downstairs." I thought about the bruise, the picture clear in my head.

"I can see it in your head right now," he told me, still in the scary attitude he'd been in since he took me home. I felt my forehead, trying to feel him inside there somewhere. "How…"

"I can read minds." I remembered all those times that I had a feeling he could tell what I was thinking. I thought of other strange things.

"What about when you and Esme were arguing the other day? Is she a vampire, too?"

"And Carlisle," Edward confirmed.

I took a deep breath. "Then I want to be a vampire."

Edward's head snapped up. "No, Bella!" he yelled. "I will _never _put you in that kind of danger!" He stepped closer to me.

"What if I want to be one?!" I screamed back. "Edward Cullen, you make me a vampire!" I growled. I wanted Edward more than anything. A vampire can't be with a human. I don't think vampires are reversible, so he was going to have to make me one.

"No!"

"Fine!" I rolled off the bed straight to the floor. I picked up a shard of glass and, without thinking, slid it down my arm. It stung, but the blood welled up quickly. "What are you gonna do?!" I taunted. "I'll cut myself to death if that means you'll change me!" Panting, I sliced the glass down my other arm. Warm blood started dripping to the carpet.

Edward walked in front of me, his eyes bright and dangerous.

_Screw this, _I finally thought. I stood up and, through the pain, walked up to Edward and wrapped my arms around his neck. I pressed my lips to his, and tasted something sharp, almost minty, but well below freezing. I pulled back in shock.

"Bella, get off of me." Edward warned.

I did as instructed, my arms feeling tingly now. "Make me a vampire," I said again.

I could see Edward's breathing accelerate, and he turned away, looking out into the Halloween night. He shed the parts of his tuxedo that my blood stained. I don't know what I did, but I was sure that it isn't good.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

His breathing getting noticeably faster and faster, Edward continued to stare out the window. I watched from the floor, my blood staining his carpet. My platelets couldn't stick together fast enough to clot the blood at my cuts.

Edward leaped from the open window, almost flying, and hit the ground with a force that sounded like thunder. My body shook with a whirlwind of fear, sadness, anger, and confusion. Everything happened so fast. I felt drunk almost, seeing things happening but not understanding what they were.

I crawled through the glass to get to the window so I could see my Edward. Little shards of glass got wedged into my knees and calves, but I ignored the little stings. From the window, I watched Edward disappear into the thick forest as the sun slipped below the horizon.

As the pain of my cuts settled in, I couldn't hold back tears. I curled up on the ground amidst the glass and blood and sobbed. _Why are you so stupid? Stupid and selfish! _I scolded myself. _What the heck is the matter with you? Now look what you did. Edward's gone, you're all scratched up, and Halloween's ruined. Hope you're happy with yourself, Bella._

Coiled up on the ground, I prayed that this was all a dream. I didn't want this to be real. I wanted everything back to normal: Edward a vampire and me not knowing, us together best friends again, hanging out while I had a secret crush on him. I ruined everything.

In spite of my pain, I was able to fall asleep. I think the blood loss made me woozy.

As soon as I fell asleep, I immediately started dreaming. I dreamed about being on the Cullen's white couch… while I was pregnant. My stomach looked like one big bruise, and I lay in pain. Esme and Carlisle were their whispering about my condition. Edward sat across from me, his face in his hands, asking himself what we did to me. Then for some reason I remembered a huge wolf coming into the house. Edward scowled at the wolf, and I clutched my stomach to protect my baby. The wolf stared at me for a long time with its golden eyes, and then lunged for my baby.

I awoke with a scream, even jumped in bed. When I looked around, I was all hooked up to wires in a completely white room. It smelled like a hospital. I was alone. "Carlisle?" I called weakly. I knew that if I was here, so was my best friend's dad. He was the head ER doctor, after all.

Carlisle promptly appeared at my door. "How are you feeling, Bella?"

"Why am I here?" I demanded.

"Well, your arms might have something to do with it."

I looked down. Both my forearms were completely bandaged, but I couldn't feel them very well. I was speechless. "But… but…" I stammered.

"That was quite some fall you took," Carlisle said.

"What?"

"You fell down our stairs and smashed into the glass pot on the landing," he told me. "You cut your arms. You lost a lot of blood. We had to give you an emergency transfusion."

"But the… window…" I tried to make sense of everything. I could have sworn that I cut my arms myself. I don't remember falling at all. "Where's Edward?"

"He was here a little while ago while you were asleep. I can try to find him for you." And in that instant, Carlisle was gone. No, I couldn't have fell. I would know. The last thing I remember is Edward telling me he was a vampire, me scratching myself with glass, and Edward leaving. I could see how I was in here for blood loss, but why was their cover-up me falling into a vase?

I heard footsteps in front of my door and looked up. Edward was there. "Bella, are you okay?" he asked, concern in his amber eyes.

"Why hello, _vampire_."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"What are you talking about?" Edward asked.

"'Falling into a vase'? Really?" I went to cross my arms, but that was impossible with all the damages.

"Bella, don't you remember? We were going downstairs to go to Twilight, and you tripped over your heels. You feel right into the glass vase."

"No, Edward," I said in a surprisingly angry voice. "You told me that you were a vampire. And I want to be one, too. You refused, so I cut my arms…" I glared at him. "Make me a vampire."

"Don't tempt me."

"I'm not tempting enough by myself?" I asked, sitting up. But it was hard to be flirty in a hospital gown. What time was it anyway? I glanced at the clock on my side table. It read 3:20 AM. Well that's great. Carlisle probably sent Charlie home, and Charlie's probably pacing around the kitchen worried sick.

Edward smiled. "Same old Bella."

I knit my eyebrows, feeling a little indent between my eyebrows form. "Why can't you, Edward? _Why_?"

"You don't want to be a vampire, Bella," Edward insisted in a slightly raspy voice.

"I want to be one if you are," I told him.

"No, Bella," he said again. "I'm done discussing this. I'm not making you a vampire, and that's final."

"Edward," I called him. If I had bendable arms, I would have pulled him down to the bed. "Come here."

Edward took one step towards me, then stopped. He stood there looking at me.

"Come here," I repeated, hitting the bed sheets.

"If you're trying to temp me to make you a vampire again, I won't let you."

"Sit at the foot of the bed if you want," I said with a shrug. "I just want you here."

Edward sighed and obeyed. He sat by my feet on top of the pristine white comforter. "Okay. I'm here."

"Edward, what are you gonna do when we're older? If we want to get married, how can a human marry a vampire? And how can a human and a vampire…" I didn't continue.

Edward stared up at the lights. "I was hoping we'd never have this discussion."

"Never have this discussion?! We are practically boyfriend and girlfriend, you tell me you're a vampire, and you hope I don't ask those kind of questions?!" I exclaimed. "Even when I kissed you, I felt this weird cold… feeling on your lips…"

Edward's head whipped toward me. "Did you swallow any?"

"What? I don't think so…?"

Edward grabbed my bandaged hand. "What did it taste like?"

"It was strange. Icy. It didn't really have a distinct taste. But it was really sharp and strong. Like mint almost, but that wasn't exactly it…"

"Do you know what that is?"

"That's a dumb question. Obviously not." I laughed.

Edward smiled. "That was vampire venom," he explained. "Usually once it touches human cells, it morphs them into vampire cells."

"And what's that like?" I asked.

"The cells harden. They become almost indestructible. The venom spreads throughout the body, and that's how you become a vampire."

"But don't vampires have to suck the blood first?" I asked.

"It can happen simultaneously. When fangs penetrate skin, venom is instantly put into the bloodstream to spread. The venom doesn't touch blood cells, though, so the vampire can drink it."

"You said vampire cells were _almost _indestructible…"

"There is only one thing in the universe that can destroy vampire venom – and therefore, vampire cells."

"What's that?"

"Fire."

I nodded. "So… were Esme and Carlisle born vampires, or did they change?"

"Carlisle was born a vampire in England. Then he moved to Italy for a little, which is where he met Esme. He changed Esme, they got married, and moved to Forks. Then they had me."

"So vampires can have children."

"Yes. But they have no blood to lose, so they operate similar to a dog or other animals."

I crossed my legs. "So they have like, nine children at once?"

Edward laughed. "No. Usually one, but like humans, they can have twins or triplets on rare occasions."

"So… is it possible to have a baby with you being a vampire and me being human?" I asked.

"I don't know," Edward admitted. "But Bella, we're in 8th grade. Isn't it a little early to be thinking about this?"

I looked down. "Still."

"Bella, there's time to make you a vampire. We have all the time in the world."

"We're 14. Our lives are 1/8 over," I said back.

"Oh no! 12.5% of our lives spent not having sex!"

I got red. "Shut up!" I hit him with my foot from under the blanket.

Edward laughed. He no longer seemed like that scary vampire. He was still the Edward I loved.

"Can you sleep here tonight?" I asked.

"You mean the remainder of the morning?" he said, glancing at the clock.

"Yeah."

"I suppose." Edward started shifting up toward me, and I shrunk into the surprisingly welcoming covers of the bed. He didn't get under the covers, but he still lay next to me. I stayed on my back because of my arms, and closed my heavy eyelids while Edward turned out the light.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

I woke up to a loud beeping that I immediately recognized as the hospital equipment. I sighed when I saw the drip machine beeping, and a clear bag that used to be full of fluid empty. When I looked to my right, I didn't see Edward, so I assumed he must be finding a nurse to take care of my IV. It was still in my hand, and it was really starting to get annoying.

The clock said 8:04, and even though it was gray outside, I could tell by the lack of pitch blackness that it was the morning.

I pressed the call button for the nurse, hoping she could get Carlisle or Charlie or Edward for me. Soon enough, a tall, slender woman in white nurse scrubs walked in. She looked pretty young, just out of college. For some reason I had a hunch she didn't come from Forks, either, by her tan complexion and frizzy hair. Every native Fork native has learned how to deal with the climate's effect on hair, so our hair didn't often frizz due to our mastery of hair product usage.

"Hmm," the nurse examined my drip. "I don't think you need an IV anymore. But I'll get Dr. Cullen." She hurried off as fast as she came.

"Okay," I answered to no one. Leaning back, I turned on the TV in front of me. It immediately was programmed to Channel 6, Forks' news channel. There wasn't much they were reporting on, just some Port Angeles stuff.

Eventually, Carlisle came in with the same nurse as before. "Hi Bella, how are you feeling?"

I stared down at my bandaged arms. "Great."

Without even checking me over, Carlisle immediately unhooked my IV. He quickly monitored my numbers, and unhooked me from them as well. "I'm pretty sure you can go home today."

"Where's Edward?" I asked pleadingly.

"He's downstairs getting food."

"But… he's…" Something didn't make sense. Vampires drink blood. They don't eat food. Do they? I've seen Edward eat food before, but he never ate a lot. He had been that way ever since I'd known him. I didn't want to say anything in front of the nurse, but I'd imagine Edward told Carlisle that I know now.

"He should be back any minute," Carlisle assured me.

"Who will be picking her up?" the nurse asked.

"I can take her home on my break," Carlisle tucked the pen he was writing with in the breast pocket of his white coat.

"But Dr. Cullen, only a legal guardian can check a minor-"

"I'm taking Bella home during my break," he insisted, looking the nurse in the eye. She nodded and exited the room.

"Carlisle, really, Charlie can take me home," I said.

"Nonsense Bella. Charlie doesn't have to take off work. I'll take you home and Edward can stay with you."

Almost as if on cue, Edward walked through the door. "Bella, how are you feeling?" He immediately came beside me.

"Better." I nodded. "I guess I'm coming home today."

"Would you mind staying with Bella?" Carlisle asked Edward.

"Of course I'll stay with her."

"Okay." Carlisle glanced at the clock. "I suppose I can get you straight home then. Your dad brought you a bag of clothes. It's on the couch. Would you like me to fetch a nurse to help you get dressed?" Carlisle eyed my bandaged arms.

"No, I think I'll be okay." I slid my legs out from under the covers, and my feet grazed the floor. "Are you sure I can go home this early? It says check-out is at ten…"

"Enjoy having friends with benefits, Bella," Edward told me. The teenager in me glanced down and desperately held back a laugh. When Edward understood what he said, he stammered. "I-I… no…" but ended up laughing.

Carlisle shook his head with a smile, and I began feeling at home before I even left the hospital.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The next few days passed by uneventfully, even with the knowledge that Edward was a vampire. Life was all in all, pretty dull. How life is dull when your bestfriend-turned-boyfriend is a vampire, I have no idea.

One day, when I was walking through the hall with Edward, I spotted a boy in the corner. He had dark skin, which is unheard of in Forks. Not Africa-American dark, but pretty tan. He looked Native American. There was a reservation no too far away called La Push, so I figured he must have come from there. But I knew most of the La Push kids went to school on the reservation, so it was weird altogether.

At lunch, I asked Edward about it. "Hey Edward… did you see that darker kid in the hall between English and Lit? He looked like he came from La Push."

Edward stiffened, and kept his eyes down at the blank table space in front of him. Now that I knew about him, he didn't bother choking down human food. It was like a human trying to eat dog food while keeping a straight face. "Oh… um… no I didn't see him."

Edward was trying to hide his sudden ice-over, and it was pretty conspicuous. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"Obviously something."

Edward sighed. "Bella, please. Just let it go."

I rolled my eyes, too tired to fight with him.

There was one class I didn't have with Edward: geometry. Definitely one of my worst enemies, and it made it harder not having Edward there for relief. He was good at pretty much any school subject, and usually helped me out.

When I sat down, the strange boy's dark skin caught my eye again. I looked over, and he was wearing a tight-fitting tee with denim shorts and sneakers. Weird, considering it was the beginning of November, and pretty chilly outside. With his shirt being so tight, I could see the outline of a six-pack, and his biceps were stretching the sleeves so taut I expected them to rip if he would move. I had never seen any boy my age so buff. Deep down, I had to admit he was hot.

Even though I didn't have this class with Edward, I did have it with Alice. She wasn't a huge help in school subjects… she was actually a bit of an airhead.

"Ooh Bella, I see you checking out that hottie," she teased.

"I'm not checking him out!" My cheeks flushed. "I've just never seen him before, that's all."

"His name is Jacob," Alice said. "He came from La Push with his dad after his mom died."

"How do you know this?" I asked.

"He's in my homeroom. We kinda hit in off."

I laughed. "Wasn't Jasper jealous?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not allowed to chat with the new guy?"

"I'm not allowed to _look_ at the new guy?" I shot back.

She shrugged, and then class started.

When class was over and it was time to switch to last period (gym… also one of those things I completely suck at), I got the guts to go up and talk to the Jacob kid. I didn't know why, but I felt an odd attraction toward him. Not like I wanted to be his girlfriend or anything, but I just felt like it was a matter or life or death that I talk to him.

"Hey, I'm Bella Swan," I instantly introduced myself, holding my books against my hip. "You're new here, right?"

"Yeah," he answered. His voice was very, very attractive. "I'm Jacob Black." He held all his books by the spin with one hand, and offered the other for a shake. The guy had REALLY big hands.

We shook, and his skin felt really warm, like a coffee cup on a snowy day. I smiled, and he smiled back. "I'll see you around I guess."

"Yeah," he answered. "See ya."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I changed into my uniform T-shirt and shorts for gym class as usual, pulling my hair back into a ponytail. I greeted Edward on the court with a smile. Today we were going to be playing volleyball. Joy.

When I got closer to Edward, his smile vanished.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Bella, you smell like a dog."

I knit my eyebrows. "Um… thanks?" I nonchalantly pulled the tip of my ponytail to my nose and sniffed. It smelled like my normal fruity shampoo.

Edward stepped closer, inhaling the air around me. "Why do you smell like you've been rolling around with a pack of mutts?"

I widened my eyes. "How the heck should I know?" I looked off to the side of the court, begging Edward to stop saying I smelled like a dog. I've never had a pet in my life. No cats, dogs, rodents, fish, or even hermit crabs. Why would I all of a sudden smell like a dog? And I couldn't have gotten it from home, anyway, considering I rode the bus to school with Edward snuggled up to him. He would have said something then.

A dark mocha color caught my eye again, and my heart was knocked up to my throat. My head snapped up, and I spotted Jacob again. I couldn't tear my eyes away, and neither could the rest of the girls. He was covered in muscles. My mouth dropped, and I prayed that there was no drool coming out.

Our gym teacher's whistle finally made me turn away, in time to see Edward's usually amber eyes coal black. He was staring at Jacob, too, a look of intense anger painted across his face.

"Edward?" I tried.

"I have to go," he answered sharply. He turned and walked toward the locker room.

"Edward!" I called, but my voice was lost amongst the chatter.

"Bella?" that very, very attractive voice said.

"Yes?" I looked toward the direction of my name, and saw Jacob standing there. My heart beat faster and faster.

"So, we meet again." He smiled, exposing a row of pristine white teeth.

I smiled back. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing would come out.

"Mrs. Smith said we're partnered for stretches, so…"

"Oh, she did? Sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

Jacob laughed. "That's okay."

We started stretching in awkward silence. I wanted to talk to him really badly, but I had no idea what to say. "Do you think I smell like a dog?" I asked without thinking.

"Um…" Jacob looked puzzled. "No?"

I blushed. "Okay."

There was another period of silence. When we sat down for crunches and he held my feet down, he almost crushed them.

"How much do you work out?" I asked, astonished at his strength.

"Not that much, actually," he replied. "Twice a week I'll lift a little at home."

"Wow. Last time I tried lifting weights all I got were sore arms for three days."

Jacob laughed again. "I guess I just put on muscle really easily."

"Is it a La Push thing? The working out? I heard from my friend Alice that you were from there."

"Yeah. I moved. My mom passed away."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Thanks. My dad thought it'd be easier to get out of La Push. I didn't want to leave, but I can't really do anything about it."

"Yeah. Moving sucks."

"So, Bella Swan, what's your story?" he asked.

"My story? Um… well I've lived in Forks pretty much my whole life. My mom was diagnosed with brain cancer a little after I was born, and she died two years later."

"Wow. I'm sorry."

"Thanks. My dad's the police chief, and we're really close with the Cullen family. If you've met them. Dr. Cullen runs the hospital. His son, Edward, is practically my best friend."

"Boyfriend?" Jacob guessed.

"No…" I half lied.

"Oh. The whole 'best friends who happen to be opposite genders' thing."

"Mhmm." I nodded. "So what are your friends like?"

"Well, you know. Friends are friends." He shrugged.

"Girlfriend?" I asked.

Jacob shook his head, a tiny smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

After gym ended, Jacob was on my mind all day. Edward was obviously reading my mind, because he kept his distance. It did bother me a little, but probably not as much as it should have.

On the bus going home, I asked him about it. "Hey, I know that Jacob kid bothers you."

Edward just grunted and looked away. "If you want to go out with him, by all means, go ahead. I shouldn't be interfering."

"No. If it bothers you, I won't talk to him anymore."

Edward just shook his head. He didn't talk to me for the rest of the bus ride, which felt too weird to be true.

I was looking out the bus window, admiring the green trees as the whizzed by. And then I thought I saw something in between the trees. Something tan, somewhat resembling a human's body. I recognized that hue before… on Jacob's skin. I watched the figure intently, and all of a sudden, it was gone in the blink of an eye. Well, that was weird.

I searched the forest so fervently for the tan that I missed something else conspicuous in the forest that seemed to be running in place of where the tan figure was. It looked kind of like a dog: gray colored, lower to the ground. But it was bigger than a dog. More like a wolf.

There had never been wolves native Forks as far as I could remember. A few times people spotted wolves minding their own business on the outskirts of Forks, but they were from the La Push people and trained to be almost domesticated. I wondered if that was Jacob running in the forest… with his pet wolf? I mean Jacob did seem a little different, but who on earth runs through the forest? With a pet wolf, none to less?

And after all, that figure must have been running pretty darn fast. I mean, with those muscles of Jacobs, I suppose he can't be a too shabby athlete. But still, something seemed really, really off.

This is normally something I would go to Edward with, but he wasn't speaking to me. I turned to my best friend next to me, and his eyes were black as he glared at me. I shrank back towards the cool glass window, actually fearing for my life for a second or two.

When he noticed the terrified look on my face, Edward looked away. I knit my eyebrows and bit my lip, like I always do when I'm upset. I looked back out the window, but the wolf or whatever it was was gone.

When it was time for our stop, Edward didn't grab my hand like usual. I just clutched the books that wouldn't fit in my backpack and stiffly walked off the bus. My classmates gave me quizzical looks, wondering why Edward wasn't all over me as usual. I just averted my eyes and concentrated on not tripping.

For the first time in… I can't even remember how long, I didn't go to Edward's after school. I trudged up to my room, dumped my books on my desk, and then… I was lost. I had no idea what to do by myself.

I finished my homework slowly, only stopping to get a drink and check my cell phone for messages from Edward. There were none. The sky darkened and I finished up my math, and then there was nothing to do. Edward and I would usually find something random to do, or make out, but obviously I couldn't do that without him here.

I changed from my school clothes to Edward's sweatshirt that smelled faintly like his Axe (which was actually unnecessary considering he was a vampire). It made my heart ache more. I debated hitting the sack early when I saw something blur by outside my window. Edward?

My heartbeat quickened at the thought he might have spied on me changing, but I autopilot walked over to the window and opened it up. The rain hitting trees and leaves and pavement created the familiar pitter-patter rhythm of Forks. I looked around, searching, and there I found him, crouched on the tree outside my window.

I crossed my arms on the window sill, the outside chill sending a shiver down my spine. "Hi."

There was a pause. "Sorry about today."

"No, I'm sorry. About Jacob. I shouldn't…"

"No, don't say sorry. I shouldn't be holding things like that against you. I mean, you're only human…"

"You could fix that," I told him with a slightly seductive smile.

Edward laughed, and came closer to my window. "Not today, Bellatrix."

After reading mandatory _Harry Potter _in school, Edward started calling me "Bellatrix" at times after the character, which means "female warrior."

I gave him my big brown puppy eyes, but he still refused. Edward came into my bedroom and dried off, and then things seemed normal again. I fell asleep in his arms, feeling loved again.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

When I woke up the next morning, Edward was gone. I tried calling him as I got dressed, but he wouldn't answer his phone. I went through my morning routine as quickly as I could, even skipping breakfast, so I could get to his house before the bus. I rang the doorbell, and Esme answered.

"Hello, Bella." She greeted me with her usual smile. But as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. "Where's Edward?"

"What do you mean where's Edward?" I knit my eyebrows. "I thought he was here with you."

"_I _thought he was with you last night. Unless he's hunting. But he knows he has school, so he should be back by now."

We stood there, the drizzle tapping on the leaves in the forest around us. Oddly, something had changed between us. Esme was practically my mother all these years, but now with the knowledge that she was a vampire, it was as if an invisible glass wall was set between us. "Do my parents know?" I wondered aloud.

"Of course not," Esme answered. "Do you think that Charlie would leave his precious little girl with a teenage vampire?"

I laughed. "_Should _I be left alone with a teenage vampire?" Esme didn't answer. I sighed. "Did my mom know, then?"

Esme slowly nodded. "You mother was an oddball, that's for sure. But she did always have a knack for noticing these kinds of things in everyday life. Do you remember her?"

"Vaguely. I mean, I think it's her. I have a vision of being held by my dad, looking at a woman hooked up to machines on a hospital bed. And Carlisle was there, too. But I don't know if that really happened… or if it's a dream. Something I made up."

Esme nodded. "Your mom was very sick. She always wanted to you to know something… she wanted me to wait until the right time to tell you. I think now is the right time."

"What is it?"

"That God made Eve out of Adam's rib so she would be strong enough to protect his heart."

"Esme, I have something to tell you." I told her the entire story about Jacob, and then the wolf I saw in the forest. By the time I finished, her eyes were wide. "Esme, what is it?" I asked. "It's just a wolf."

"It's not just a wolf," she whispered. By that time, the bus had arrived. "Come inside." Esme pulled me in by the wrist. "You can't go to school today."

"What? I don't understand…"

"Stay away from that boy Jacob, you hear me?" she warned.

"Wha… why?"

Esme didn't answer, but picked up the Cullens' old-style home phone quickly. On the circular dial, she called Carlisle. Once he picked up, she said in an urgent voice, "Carlisle, we have a problem. Bella said that she saw a wolf in the woods. And she made friends with a boy named Jacob, he's from La Push. I know, that's why I need both you and Edward here as soon as possible. Wait, you don't know where Edward is either?" Esme's eyes darted from side to side. "Well, this is fantastic. Yes, come home as soon as possible. Goodbye."

Esme turned toward me. "What else did Jacob tell you?"

"Um… he moved here with his dad because his mom passed away. I told you everything else. But really, what's wrong with a wolf?"

"It's not a wolf we're dealing with, Bella. It's a werewolf."

"A what?"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

A werewolf. First I find out that my best friend is a vampire, then I find out the new guy at my school is a werewolf. Does this happen to anybody but me?

In a way, this kind of makes sense. Jacob did say he was from La Push. He was totally buff, and wolves were big and powerful, right? His hands were huge when we shook, like big animal paws. And he was warm. Wolves must be warm with all that fur. Edward told me I smelled like a dog, too… and Edward completely detested Jacob.

"What's wrong with werewolves exactly?" I asked nervously.

"Long story short, they are vampires' mortal enemies. Vampires normally kill humans for their blood, and werewolves are built to protect humans. It's a complicated mouthful, and I would rather wait until Carlisle is here. He can explain better."

"Can I go up to Edward's room to wait for him?" I asked, and bolted upstairs knowing Esme's response.

I threw myself onto Edward's bed and buried my face in his pillow. Again, why does all this complicated stuff have to happen to _me_? The vampire thing was enough of a curveball, but now there was a werewolf that, by the sounds of it, could totally put me in danger.

When I looked up again, I saw Edward standing in the room looking at me. When I blinked, tears rolled down my eyes. Edward wrapped me in his arms and lay down with me. "Why me?" I whispered.

"Because you're a tough little girl."

I laughed. "That's a really lame excuse."

Then Edward kissed me. It was out of the blue, but felt so natural. I ran my hands through his hair as our kiss continued, longer than before. I felt that weird, cool feeling again, the venom. I ignored it though, I wanted to keep kissing Edward. Eventually he stopped me, and I was disappointed. "Come on," I murmured, trying to get him to kiss me again.

"I can't, Bella."

"Please?" I held on tight to his neck, figuring it wouldn't hurt him.

He looked into my eyes. "You have to talk to Carlisle. We need this werewolf business taken care of."

He sat up, and I followed. He walked me downstairs, and the vase on the landing was cleverly removed. Har har.

Esme made some tea for me, and Carlisle got right into explaining this werewolf thing without an intro.

"See, vampires like us normally drink the blood of humans. We go to big cities usually, taking the lives of people who won't be missed. But our family is an exception. We only drink the blood of animals, Esme and I believe it isn't fair to take the lives of humans who can't fend for themselves. That's a simple story. The werewolves, however, have a longer one.

"The werewolf gene is in many an Indian tribes' blood, and the Quileute is one of them. Now only certain members of the tribe get this werewolf gene, usually members in line to be a chief. The gene can be dormant in their bodies their whole lives if there's no trouble; it only becomes active when their tribe is threatened. Obviously, when vampires like us moved to town, they found it a threat.

"They set up an army of sorts to kill us while we were hunting, but we promised that we would only drink the blood of animals. So we made a treaty. If we were ever to harm any human in La Push or Forks, turn them or drink their blood, they have the right to come after us. With this assurance the gene calmed down, but something must be happening, since they're becoming werewolves again."

My head was in a whirl. This is too much for a girl to take. I just got over the fact that my best friend is a vampire. Now this is thrown at me. "But if you didn't kill any humans, why did the gene flare up?"

Carlisle took a long look at me and Edward, and I felt myself blush. "I-I'm not a vampire! No one hurt me!"

"Let's face it, Bella. Edward is attracted to you. The fact your blood is… greatly appealing to him could have awakened the gene."

"But… how do they know?"

"It's nature. Something that can't be explained."

"So what do we do then?" Edward asked.

Carlisle sat down. "There's really nothing we can do, short of either separating you or robbing you of your hormones," he said while looking at Edward.

I buried my head in my arms. Good, good Lord. Then my head shot up. "So is that why Jacob's here? To protect me?"

"I suppose. I don't know their motives just yet, but I'm a little afraid to go to La Push. If the whole reservation knows, we run the risk of getting jumped and starting a ruckus," Carlisle said.

Again, why me? Am I just destined to be cursed or what? Am I the only person on Earth who has to deal with this crap?


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The next day, Esme and Carlisle cleared me to go to school again, if I would only promise I would stay with Edward the entire time. That wouldn't really disrupt our lives at all, so it kind of worked out.

It was all good… until geometry. God-damned geometry.

I was ready to slam my face against my book during factoring, until Jacob leaned over to help. "Having trouble?" he asked, even though his smile knew the answer.

I nodded. x2 – 9x = 14… who uses this stuff?

"Take out the x," he explained, writing "x(x – 9) = 14" on my paper. Then he did all this stuff with the numbers I couldn't even follow. I could only pay attention to the smoke and pine tree scent of Jacob. It was so oddly appealing. When he finished the problem, I thanked him, trying not to look at him and feed my sudden attraction.

"So… what exactly _is _going on with you and that Edward kid?"

"We're just friends," I quickly blurted out.

"Oh… kay?" he lightened the mood with a laugh. "Well whenever I see him, he's poised in front of you… like he'd take a bullet for you or something."

I knit my eyebrows. "I don't see it," I lied.

"If it's okay with him, some friends and I are getting together at the reservation tonight. We're gonna have a fire and just cook some hot dogs and stuff. You interested in coming?" he asked just as the bell rang.

I started to gather my things. I wondered if this would be a good opportunity to find out what was going on with the Quileutes. "Um, sure."

"Do you know how to get to the reservation?"

I opened my mouth to say yes, but then I realized I had no idea where La Push was, much less how to get to it.

"How about this. My brother Seth has his own truck. Give me your address and I'll pick you up."

"Sounds good." I scribbled my address on the edge of my notebook and ripped off the corner.

"Oh, and one more thing: if I were you, I wouldn't bring Edward."

"Why?" I asked. But Jacob turned and disappeared down the hall before he could hear the question escape my lips.


End file.
